Barley, Cauliflower and Cabbage bowl

I have been making an effort to use up all of the grains and legumes in my pantry. I am a bit of a shopping addict when it comes to foods, wanting to buy everything in sight. Just think of what I could do with this or that. So inevitably I have jars filled or half filled with barley, wheat berries, various rice grains, lentils and more.

I haven’t cooked with barley in a while so I thought I’d empty the jar into a bowl and feature it in a dish with a few vegetables.

A quick look in the fridge produced a cauliflower and half a head of cabbage and I thought those three would love to get together in a dish. I have made this dish twice this week with some variations. the first time I chopped the cauliflower into fine grains in a food processor and today I cut it with a knife into small florets. Last time I garnished with pistachios, today with finely chopped peanuts. No particular reason for the changes except that change is good and because this is what I had handy today. All recipes are a starting point from which you can experiment, adjust and make your own.

I cook the barley in a pot of water, roast the cauliflower in the oven at 400F and sauté the shredded cabbage in a little bit of olive oil and then combine them together, add herbs and voila, a lovely dish. I like subtle flavours. If you prefer more bold add more of the spices and drizzle a little olive oil or hot sauce on top for extra flavour.

Ingredients:

1 cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup barley, rinsed and soaked for 30 minutes

1/2 small cabbage, shredded
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin seeds

2 green onions, sliced on the diagonal
1/3 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
1/3 cup coarsely chopped nuts (pistachios, peanuts)

Optional: hot sauce of you choice

Directions:

Place the cauliflower florets on a foil lined baking sheet, drizzle with the olive oil and roast in a preheated 400F° oven until begin ing to turn golden, about 20 minutes or so. Remove for the oven and let cool.

Rinse and soak the barley in cold water for 30 minutes, then drain, place in a pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Lower heat to simmer and cook until barley is just tender. Do not over cook so taste it to check if it’s done. Drain and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large skillet large enough to hold all of the ingredients. Add the cabbage and cook on medium heat until wilted and done. Do not over cook. If the pan seems dry you can add a little water to create steam and help it cook.

Add the spices, salt and pepper to the cabbage.

When the cabbage is done add the cooked barley and cauliflower and mix gently. Check the seasoning and adjust as needed, adding more salt and pepper as necessary.

Add the chopped parsley and mix it in.

To serve, spoon into individual bowl or one large bowl, drizzle with a final touch of olive oil, sprinkle with green onion and nuts.

Serve warm.

Barley, cauliflower and cabbage bowl

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